IUCN Rwanda Joins Regional Leaders in Kigali to Strengthen One Health-Based Pandemic Prevention in the Greater Virunga Landscape

Kigali, Rwanda – 12 February, 2025 – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Rwanda joined regional leaders and stakeholders in Kigali to develop a comprehensive 2025 work plan aimed at enhancing pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response in the Greater Virunga Landscape (GVL).

The initiative, which integrates One Health principles, seeks to mitigate health threats at the human-animal-environment interface across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC), along with international health organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF, which serve as key implementing entities. The Project is supported by the Pandemic Fund.

Strengthening One Health for Pandemic Preparedness

The One Health-based pandemic prevention project aims to bolster regional collaboration in responding to zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential. The initiative focuses on cross-border cooperation to improve surveillance, diagnostics, and community capacity—ensuring timely response strategies in vulnerable areas, particularly near national parks and wildlife reserves.

The project comes against the backdrop of recurrent zoonotic disease threats in the region, exacerbated by human-wildlife interactions, deforestation, and climate change. Strengthened transboundary coordination is critical to preventing outbreaks that could have devastating consequences for both public health and conservation.

Priority Areas for 2025

1. Strengthening Disease Surveillance Systems: A major objective of the project is to enhance a transboundary digital disease surveillance network linking human, animal, and wildlife health sectors. Efforts will focus on:

• Training healthcare and veterinary professionals in event-based surveillance.
• Improving cross-border data-sharing mechanisms.
• Implementing community-based early warning systems to detect outbreaks at their source.

2. Enhancing Laboratory Capacities: The project will upgrade laboratory networks to improve disease diagnostics for zoonotic threats, with key measures including:

• Developing standardized diagnostic protocols across participating countries

.- Expanding the region’s biobanking capacities.

• Strengthening integration between animal and human health laboratories.

3. Workforce & Community Engagement: Capacity development remains a central component of the initiative. In 2025, training sessions will be rolled out to strengthen skills among health workers, veterinary doctors, customs officers, and rapid response teams. Meanwhile, targeted community outreach programs will educate local populations on reducing zoonotic disease risks at the human-wildlife interface.

4. Fostering Regional Coordination & Governance: Recognizing the need for unified policies across borders, the initiative will establish governance structures to integrate One Health into national decision-making processes. Expected outcomes include:

• Formation of technical committees to guide One Health collaboration.
• Adoption of standardized policy frameworks across Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda.
• Strengthening disease control mechanisms in and around protected areas.

5. Securing Sustainable Investments: A regional GVL One Health Fund will be established to ensure long-term financial commitment to pandemic preparedness and response. The fund will mobilize resources from public institutions, private sector partners, and conservation stakeholders to create a sustainable financing model.

Expected Impact: With the successful implementation of these strategies, the initiative is expected to:

✔ Establish a functional transboundary One Health system for early warning and response.

✔ Strengthen laboratory networks and disease detection capabilities.

✔ Enhance intersectoral collaboration across healthcare, veterinary, and environmental sectors.

✔ Improve regional compliance with International Health Regulations (IHR2005) and boost scores on the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), State Party Annual Reporting (SPAR), and Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) frameworks.

✔ Reduce zoonotic disease risks, safeguarding public health while protecting biodiversity in one of Africa’s most ecologically significant landscapes.